Not sure if you do this… I used to wrap all the text books and some other precious books and magazines with plastic sheets. And of course, normal cellophane tape was the only choice. It turned yellowish over time and became kind of sticky and messy.

I think washi tape is such a fantastic alternative.

Not only does it beautify the books, it’s also acid-free (for certain brands like mt masking tape and Aimez le style washi tape). Well, I’m not sure (yet to find out) if this applies to all the other decorative tapes in the market.

It’s not that hard to pick the kind of paper tape (if you come across in your area) that I like in the bookstore since it only offered very limited choice.

However, it’s so different in the internet world.

If you search on the World Wide Web, you will literally get tons of washi-tape-related pictures.

You might have encountered familiar washi paper tapes all over the place such as mt tape. This is because, in my opinion, it is the most original and widespread and the pioneer in the industry.

They already have hundreds of different designs, colors and styles in mt brand alone. Not to mention, they do have limited edition adhesive tapes for different regions and countries. Plus, they also offer “seasonal” products such as Summer Collection, Autumn & Winter Collection, Christmas tapes and so on.

Besides, you have the option to buy single roll or to collect them all in a series. They carry the same theme, say flowers, and offer in different colors.

So, it’s really a lot to shop and buy.

I’m not sure if this is good or not so good. Even though we sell washi tapes online and get the chance to buy a lot more, we sometimes feel that our buying process is always in progress.

It’s very much like fashion, isn’t it? New designs, colors, styles and textures keep appearing pretty quickly. It’s kind of tough to keep up with the trend, don’t you agree?

The buying process will be easy if you know for sure what kind of designs you love. Best of all, if you also know what your customers like. Otherwise, it could take a while to select because you are not certain what to buy or which one to start first.

Let’s see what’s in here…

As you may have already read in Part 1, I categorized the types of washi tapes into six different groups, namely theme, color, pattern, design, cultural and texture. At least three pictures are included for each category (except “texture”) to show the differences.

What are the differences?

Even if having the same theme, say food related designs; it can give you different feel like simple and cute or colorful and bold.

~ Below is a wonderful example for floral themed deco tapes. Different flowers and different colors on different sizes. (click to enlarge images)

Aimez le style flowers

Shinzi Katoh Hachisan

mt ex hana

~ Below is animal / encyclopedia mt tape. Cut out and use as stickers for butterfly tape. Children can learn about animals from the middle tape. And on the right, layer this tape with bear tape. (click to enlarge images)

~ This is another huge section in terms of patterns. They are just way too many for me to include here such as stripes, hearts and so on. I think this is the main reason that I (or we) get crazy about washi tapes. (click to enlarge images)

~ There are also decorative masking tapes which contain and reflect a particular culture. Say if you want to make a Chinese New Year card or plan an Oriental themed D.I.Y. wedding, what about including this tape in your design like the image on the left below (Japanese style washi tape)? {click to enlarge images}

Japanese style

Nordic style

Amifa London

These are the washi tapes in a nutshell. There are so many I haven’t included in this article. If I were to include everything here, it’d be a very long list!

However, I will still be sharing with you other various types of washi tapes in different blog posts. Hope you enjoy reading so far and knowing a bit more about these little beautiful tapes.

Please share if you find this article helpful! Thank you for your support!

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WashiMagic is a blog dedicated to providing information more than just washi tape. Explore different types of other crafts that you can learn and start in a simple, organized and entertaining manner. Let’s also spread some encouraging words – one kind word at a time. Read more >>

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Thank you for visiting Washi Magic. This is the place where different washi tapes and related crafts will be discussed and shared. It is wonderful when you share. Please take note that all pictures and content on this blog are property of Washi Magic. One or two photos can be used but indicate the source and a link back to the original article. Please do not crop, edit and remove any watermarks of the pictures without permission. Pinning is appreciated. Thank you!